His Footprints, My Heart...

I was sitting in church this weekend after we had finished our Easter cantata on Saturday night, listening to our interim pastor giving the invitation to all who came to the service, when one thought occurred to me. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that Christianity is the only religion where the one that is worshipped is the one who insisted on dying rather than asking his followers to die for him? I think of those who believe that to die in things such as suicide bombings, how they believe that their god, who did not die for them, will somehow bless them or hold them in some high regard for dying for him. How can love be defined by someone's god asking them to harm themselves? Christ only asks us to die to ourselves, to let the old man die, the one that gets us in so much trouble anyway! So, tell me, what do you think?

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I'll post something of a bit more worth later *grin* ....... Hope everyone had a GREAT Easter!

In Him,
Cindy Lou

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Hi guys! I've been playing around, trying to find a new template for "The Song In My Heart". I'm a little "over" the green one. Take a look at what I'm playing around with and let me know what you think!

I'm also starting another blog called "Son Flowers". I'm going to post just whatever strikes me as one of those precious gifts, "flowers", that God puts in my life. You can take a gander at it here. Don't have much on it yet because I'm still playing around with it too, but let me know what you think!

They both need some work... alot of work! But, it's a start!

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I decided on a "lighter" post today. A friend sent this to me a while back. Hope you enjoy! Now even more reasons to go to Wal-Mart!

14 Things to do at Wal-Mart while your spouse/partner/friend is taking
their sweet time:

1. Set all the alarm clocks in housewares to go off at 5-minute
intervals.

2. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.

3. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone, '"Code three in house wares"......and see what happens.

4. Go the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

5. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

6. Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers
you'll invite them in if they bring pillows from the bedding department.

7. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask 'Why
can't you people just leave me alone?'

8. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your
nose.

9. While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he
knows where the anti-depressants are.

10. Dart around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the theme
from "Mission Impossible."

11. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different
size funnels.

12. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say "PICK
ME!" "PICK ME!"

13. When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, assume the fetal
position and scream "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"

And last but not least...

14. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while and then yell
loudly "There is no toilet paper in here!"

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Alright, so when God really wants me to learn something, He seems to come at me from all angles. You know, when everything you hear on the radio, see on TV, or read seems to point you right back to what He's trying to teach you. Well, we're revisiting the "worry" topic. There's a phrase from one of my favorite songs that says "time to let it go and just believe." I think - no, I know - that that's what God wants me to do, just trust. A non-Christian girl that I work with sent this story to me this morning. Isn't it awesome how God speaks to us? We can get to "high and mighty" as Christians sometimes that we forget that the only difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that Christians have accepted the saving grace of Jesus Christ, but that's for a post down the road.

The story...

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood
and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him
how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be
twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the
employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and
asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can
choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I
can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept
their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I
choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away
all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's
your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry
to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious
accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be
twins Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through
his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground,
I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I
could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'.
I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said
John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The
doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took
a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on
me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the
choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

So, today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday and this week is the week I worried about last week. Worry is fear, and fear is not trusting God. Not that I'll never worry again, because I've done this whole "roller-coaster" of worry-learn to trust-worry-learn to trust before, but hopefully I spend less time in the "worry" valley than I do on the "learn to trust" hilltop each time.

Barbara, maybe that's the secret we're looking for?

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My closest friends and family know me very well, they know I'm a worrier. If I'm not worried about something I begin to worry that there's something I should be worried about and I'm not worrying about it.... seriously. I really do that, but I guess I don't have to tell everything I know, huh?

A good friend of mine sent this to me in an email today:

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. It does not enable us to escape evil. It makes us unfit to face evil when it comes. It is the interest you pay on trouble before it comes.

Yes, I know all of the scriptures that deal with worry. I even have them conveniently written down on a huge index card, you know, the REALLY big ones, for easy reference. I used to post cards with scriptures everywhere that I had a struggle. For instance, on my bathroom mirror because I sometimes think I'm really not pretty (on the inside and the outside), on the refrigerator where I too often turn for "comfort", and my car because I spend alot of time there and can worry all I want, especially when I'm by myself :)

But, since Blogger seems to be acting up a bit today (and yesterday and the day before and the day before...), I'll keep this one short and sweet.

But, He does feed the sparrow...

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Have you ever thought about all the free stuff we have right at our fingertips each and every day? Free art... just look at the beautiful sunrise and sunset each day,

or the beautiful birds in the sky, or the beautiful flowers that come in more colors and designs than you can imagine! We have free music... just listen to a child innocently singing her baby dolls to sleep, or listen to the birds singing a melodious tune, or listen to a cat purr with contentment.

We have free sunshine, free rain, free breezes, free love... just cuddle with a pet for a while! The most amazing free thing to me, though, is the most wonderful gift I've ever received. It was free, it really was! That was the gift of salvation from Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Do you know Him? I mean /really/ know Him, as your personal Lord and Savior. You can! Want to know more about Him and this free gift of His unfathomable love? I'd love to share what Christ has done in my life with you! You can also visit www.thegoodnews.org.

If you do know Him, take a moment to really take in all the "free gifts" He gives us each and every day and share it with just one person! But, I believe that you won't be able to keep it to yourself! Have a blessed day!

(Okay, so I'm still learning the "design" stuff with this blog thing......excuse the construction....)

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You know, it's been one of those weeks where I've just had alot on my mind. As I mentioned in Monday's post, I have this feeling of "restlessness" in my soul about how God wants to use me. I'm certain that music, specifically singing, is a part of that, but I just know that I need to be reaching people beyond what I'm doing now.

I sing in our choir and am in the solo rotation at our church. In the past I've sung with a couple of trios. (Until I learn how to put some of my recordings on my blog, go to the following link to hear a small sample of my singing: www.mrvstudios.com and click on "Audio Samples" then click on "High Praise Trio") We travelled around to other churches to minister, but it's been almost 2 years since I've done that.

That's not a bad thing, though, because God's been using that time to really work in my life. He's done alot of "healing" in many areas of my life, but that's a post for another time.

I'm sure many of you have either heard or read about the tragedy that occured yesterday in Atlanta. A rape suspect who was on trial overpowered a deputy, took her gun and shot her. He then went on to shoot and kill a federal judge and his court reporter as well as another deputy. The judge, court reporter, and second deputy have died and the first deputy is in critical condition. The suspect, Brian Nichols, then went on a car jacking spree, if you will, injuring another man. Police found out this morning that an Atlanta Customs Agent was found shot to death with his gun and truck stolen, suspecting that this might be related to this case. Driving home from work yesterday was so strange, seeing police cars everywhere and at one time seeing several police cars speeding to investigate a lead. My husband just called to let me know that the police have just caught Nichols. It's about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday morning.

While sitting still in traffic, I spoke with my dad who wanted to make sure I knew about it and to tell me to be careful and not let anyone in if they approached my car (he's such a good daddy...). The city was on lock down, and the school where my co-worker's daughter attends was on lock down. My dad and I were talking about how we live in such a different world from when he was in school, even very different from when I was in school, which has been longer than I care to dwell on too much *grin*, but still not that long ago.

I say that to say this, life is so fragile, so fleeting. A friend of mine and my husband's said this to me the other day, "I believe whole heartedly that the saving message of Christ is still the same we just have to share it in a way that is relevant to the people we hope to reach." Amen.

There's just a somber feeling in my soul today. I pray that God will put someone in each of our paths so that we can share His goodness.

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I would venture to say that most, if not all, of you guys reading this weren't stoned by your family this weekend because you went to church. I bet that your "un-churched" or non-Christian family, even if they think you're "wierd" or "crazy" for believing in Christ, still wouldn't consider stoning you.

Unfortunately, that's not the case all over the world. I learned from a friend this weekend that someone he met overseas on a mission trip might be facing that from her own family. We'll call her "Mary." You see, Mary is a believer; she believes that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is her savior.

Mary's family also believes, but not in Christ. When they found out about Mary's belief in Christ, they beat her. They are now considering stoning her, which would be permissable in her country because she does not believe in the "religion" of her country. Her family could stone her and face no consequences.

All of this is pretty unfathomable to me. I mean, what "consequences" do I have to face because I'm a believer? Someone might laugh at me, they might yell at me, or they may stop speaking to me; but, in all reality, it's not very likely that I will be beaten where I live. I am free to express my love for Christ, but do I always do that? I'm ashamed to say "No." What excuse do I have? Really, none. It can be so easy to stay in my comfort zone and "minister" at church. You know, sing in the choir, volunteer for this or that.

What "consequences" will I face if I leave my comfort zone, step outside of "these four walls" and truly minister to a lost and dying world, to those who are waiting for ME to talk to them, not just those who ASK me? Well, on earth, I'll miss some blessings, I'm certain of that; but, in heaven, I'll see the blood that's on my hands, the souls that went to hell because I didn't take the time to tell them... tell them about Christ, what He did for us, that He loves them, that I love them.

I still have that "restlessness" in my soul that I wrote about a few weeks ago, but God is, little by little, making it clearer what I should be doing. What does God want YOU to do?

Please, when you're praying this week, remember Mary. When you see a rock, say a prayer for her and all the other "Mary's" out there.

Help me pray that I will not be so arrogant to think that I deserve anything that Christ has given me. Pray that I will have a thankful heart. Pray that I'll tell others.

Do you know Christ? I mean /really/ know Him, not just /about/ him. I'd be glad to talk to you about Him. Also, a good place to visit is: www.thegoodnews.org

Have a blessed day!

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You know, just a couple of short months ago, I had no idea what a blog was. Now, I've found this whole community of bloggin' buddies and prayer warriors! I'm truly amazed! For example, look at Paula's blog from yesterday or Darlene's blog asking prayer for her son. Isn't it amazing how God's people "find" each other wherever they go? Actually, it's awesome! I believe that "wherever two or three are gathered He will be there"... and I believe the blogging world is no different! It's awesome to me how people from all over the world who've had all sorts of experiences can come together and share with others. I think God is certainly glorified in our blogs, especially when we share what He's done for us with others. There's a song that comes to mind by the group LordSong entitled "Such A Time As This." Hope you enjoy the lyrics, and thanks, Lord, for fellow Christian bloggers.

Such A Time As This

Why did I walk through the valleyWhy was I forced to my knees?
Why did the sun parch and dry me,
As I walked through the desert of defeat.
Then came the clouds and the rain fell,
I thought I'd never make it through the night.
But God gave me the answer when I prayed with you,
He let me see the dark to hold the light.

I can kneel with a brother who is bearing a burden
And say I know just what you're going through.
I can pray with a sister in the midst of her sorrow
And say I know because I've been there too.
I can put my arms around someone who is down
And tell them to have faith and confidence.
What in pain I could not see I know fully believe,
God prepared me for such a time as this.

You may be praying for rescue.
You are facing temptations and trials.
Struggles are endlessly present,
But the purpose is somewhere in God's time.
Just keep on walkin' the good road.
Night leads to a stronger, wiser day,
And when you're asked the reason for the path you have trod,
You'll know without a doubt and you can say....

I can kneel with a brother who is bearing a burden
And say I know just what you're going through.
I can pray with a sister in the midst of her sorrow
And say I know because I've been there too.
I can put my arms around someone who is down
And tell them to have faith and confidence.
What in pain I could not see I now truly believe,
God prepared me for such a time as this.
God prepared me for such a time........

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